Toyotomi Hideyoshi ’s Cherry Blossom Party at Daigo-ji in Kyoto: The annual Hō-Taikō Hanami Gyōretsu (Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s cherry blossom viewing parade – 豊太閤花見行列) was held at Daigo-ji temple (醍醐寺) in Kyoto, on the 12th of April. The procession exits the Sanbō-in garden (三宝院) through the Karamon gate and makes it way via the Sandō (参道), the approach to the main […]

Nishijin Textile Center: Perhaps, Kyoto is most remembered for its World Heritage sites of Shrines, temples and gardens and it’s weaving technique is praised amongst the world’s finest. It stands to reason that the old capital of the Heian period was in need of master weavers to satisfy the needs of its aristocrats. There is still an area of Kyoto […]

Summer Purification at Kifune shrine in Kyoto: The annual Nagoshi-no-harae (夏越の祓) or “Summer Purification” is celebrated at the end of the first 6 months of the year. Thus June 30th is a day when many people all over Japan visit a shrine to purify themselves from misdeeds and impurities. Most shrines set up a “chinowa” wreath and after a small […]

Chin’yū’s Chinese Soba: Chin’yū (珍遊) is a Kyoto-style ramen restaurant that is famous for its rich broth. There are always many people lining up during lunch time, it’s quite normal to see 30 or more hungry ramen lovers lining up. I went to the main store after lunch time and skipped the waiting part. There is another store near the […]

Yagi Residence: When you walk from Shijō-Dōri (四条通), towards the Mibu-dera temple, on your right on Bōjō Dōri (坊城通), is the old Yagi Residence (八木邸). It is located a little off the main road and a colourful shop is in front. The Mibu area used to be a small farming village and the Yagi family had sushi status. Therefore they […]

Hydrangea-Rainy Season-Kansai: The rainy season is in full swing in the Kansai area and favourite past-time is viewing the Hydrangea or Ajisai as they are called in Japanese. In Kyoto there are quiet a few outstanding spots such as Fujinomori Shrine, Mimuroto-ji Temple in Uji and Sanzen-in Temple in Ohara. I have been to all those before so I was […]

Kokuzo-san: Konin-ji Temple!, a set on Flickr. It’s a bit of a climb up, about 100 meters of stairs through a pine forest. Once you arrive at the Kōnin-ji Temple gate, you’ll immediately impressed with the serenity of the temple grounds. Its quiet, there are a lot of trees and places to sit and enjoy the stillness. The paintings on […]

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Chin’yū’s Chinese Soba: Chin’yū (珍遊) is a Kyoto-style ramen restaurant that is famous for its rich broth. There are always many people lining up during lunch time, it’s quite normal to see 30 or more hungry ramen lovers lining up. I went to the main store after lunch time and skipped the waiting part. There is another store near the […]

Kitano Tenman-gū: Many a times I have been to Kitano Tenman-gū in the northern part of Kyoto. Most Japanese people associate the shrine with Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真) the scholar, poet, and politician of Japan’s Heian Period (794 to 1185). Michizane is perhaps also the most popular figure from Japanese history revered by students, who come here to pray for […]

Yagi Residence: When you walk from Shijō-Dōri (四条通), towards the Mibu-dera temple, on your right on Bōjō Dōri (坊城通), is the old Yagi Residence (八木邸). It is located a little off the main road and a colourful shop is in front. The Mibu area used to be a small farming village and the Yagi family had sushi status. Therefore they […]

Princess Kaguya’s Palace: Yesterday, while strolling around the bamboo forests of Nishiyama in Kyoto, I came across this odd looking entrance gate of Princess Kaguya’s palace in Kyoto. I was intrigued and was wondering what could be inside. The caretaker, a grandson of the original builder, told me the two structures are 100 years old and it took 27 years […]

A few days ago, I went to the Kizugawa era of Kyoto to enjoy the autumn leaves and shoot some pictures. It was a very nice, sunny day and our first destination was the town of Kasagi and the Kasagi-dera on Mt.Kasagi in Sōraku-gun, Kyoto-fu. It involved quite a bit of hiking on this famous historical mountain and climbing over, […]

Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art and “La Japonaise”: On a windy, blustering day, my daughter and I visited an exhibition on Japonism at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. Japonism is, as described on Wikipedia, the influence of Japanese art, fashion, and aesthetics on Western culture; particularly, in this case, referring to impressionist art in the 19th century. The centrepiece […]

Chrysanthemum Festival: On September 9, or the 9th day of the 9th month, is a special day for the Kamigamo shrine in Kyoto. They hold the annual “chōyō no sekku” (重陽) or Chrysanthemum Festival. After the Chrysanthemum ceremony in the main shrine, a priest holding a bow and arrow near the sand mounds, called “tatezuna”, in front of the Hosodono […]

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The boat departs at 19:00, and enters into the dramatic world the cormorants and the fishermen create on the surface of the summer night's water. Known as a sentimental summer traditional event, this practice has a history that goes back to the Heian era and is recorded in Konjaku Monogatari